Lucy Carter

Lucy Carter was the Top Dog at TheJetSetPets.com, the luxury travel resource for the pampered pet on the go. At nine months old, she joined the family of Kelly E. Carter. From their first meeting at an airport on Nov. 18, 2001 until her sudden death on Sept. 21, 2014, Lucy led an enviable life, petsetting to the hottest destinations around the world and hobnobbing with celebrities and other boldface names. No wonder Roger Friedman once called her “the luckiest dog in Hollywood” in his column.

Years ago, Lucy wrote:

Hello,

I’m Lucy, not Gizmo from The Gremlins. Please don’t make the mistake of confusing me with a yappy Pomeranian or a butterfly-looking Papillion. Or worse yet, some mixed breed mutt. I’m a purebred, longhair Chihuahua. My father was once ranked No. 7 in the country and my mother, well, um, never mind about her lack of pedigree so let’s move on.

I once heard on a dog show (of course I watch them!) that longhair Chihuahuas have a rather high opinion of themselves. I’m more than happy to uphold the reputation of my breed. Don’t you think I’m much prettier than those rat-looking, smooth coat Chihuahuas? I’m quieter too. And I’ve got more attitude. Just deal with it.

I had the extreme good fortune (my lovely owner is standing over me while I type this) of joining Kelly’s home in November 2001 after eight months at a breeder in Pasco, Wash.

Kelly picked me up at the airport in Pasco and the next thing I know, I was on my first flight. Since then, Kelly and I have been practically inseparable. Now a holder of passports from Italy and Mexico, I’m quite the well-traveled pooch having visited Spain, Germany, Mexico, Martinique, France, Amsterdam and Monaco to name a few. My name was changed to Lucia when we moved to Italy, where I picked up Italian in no time. I just love the way the Italians sing their words. (Sometimes I purposely ignore commands in English and only respond to Italian just so I can keep hearing the beautiful language.)

I’ve traveled by plane, train, helicopter, bus, scooter, car, boat and scooter – and never in coach on a long haul like this flight from Rome. I’ve hung out on yachts in St. Tropez and Cannes and been a guest at villas, private islands and some of the finest hotels, including Four Seasons Hotel George V in Paris, the Cavalieri in Rome, the Carlyle in New York, Esperanza Resort and Las Ventanas al Paraiso, a Rosewood resort, in Cabo San Lucas, the St. Regis Monarch Beach and Le Byblos in St. Tropez. My personal fave is Esperanza because of the massage I enjoyed on the terrace. A handsome man gave me a soothing massage in a suite at Trump in Las — oops! I’m not supposed to tell what happened in Vegas. Just know that I’m perfectly-suited for the good life. Is it any wonder I was the inspiration behind The Jet Set Pets, the luxury travel source for the pet on the go?

Because I’m so well-behaved, I’ve been able to enjoy an array of events, such as an off-Broadway play, the cinema, fashion shows, restaurants, the Playboy Mansion, sporting events, film festivals in Cannes and Venice and even a Jewish wedding on New York’s Upper East Side. There’s no where you can’t take me, except to China and that’s by choice. I don’t want to end up being an appetizer at dinner or the collar on someone’s jacket.

When I lived in New York, I had a good reason to wear the cashmere and angora sweaters my darling owner bought me years ago. I don’t need them as much now that I’m back in Los Angeles. But I still like to get dressed up every so often. I just wish the lady who feeds me realizes that I too get tired of wearing the same thing year after year. Just because I haven’t outgrown my clothes (like some people who will go unmentioned), doesn’t mean I’m not in need of a new wardrobe. Perhaps I’ll get another modeling gig one day and get to keep the clothes like I hear so many starlets do.

Maybe you saw me modeling a pet carrier in People magazine? Although I’m a star in my own right, I’m still shocked when I make gossip columns. Once I was pictured with Michael J. Fox in Mike Walker’s “All the Gossip” column in the National Enquirer. And Roger Friedman, then with Fox News, wrote about Salma Hayek kissing me at BAFTA’s Tea Party, a pre-Golden Globes soiree. The Mexican starlet also saw me in Cannes and insisted on holding me while doing a television interview. Style guru Steven Cojocaru thought I was the perfect accessory to carry when he did a Fox television interview about fashion at the Academy Awards. When I see a camera, whether still or video, I’m more than willing to oblige.

Scroll down to see a partial viewing of my photo album with boldface names, including Beyoncé, Halle Berry, Susan Sarandon, Goldie Hawn, Jamie Foxx, Denzel Washington, Patti LaBelle, Dakota Fanning, Elizabeth Hurley, Jennifer Aniston, Vivica A. Fox, Andie MacDowell, Kelly Rowland, Nelly, Verne Troyer, Traci Bingham and Olivier Martinez to drop a few names. Someday you’ll read about my moments with the glitterati. I type very slowly so it’s taking me a long time to write my book. I could use a little help from my author friends below like French Women Don’t Get Fat’s Mireille Guiliano and Under the Tuscan Sun’s Frances Mayes.

Once I overheard someone ask Halle what she wanted for Christmas. She said, “I want a Lucy.”

Lucy

Lucy Carter was the Top Dog at TheJetSetPets.com, the luxury travel resource for the pampered pet on the go. At nine months old, she joined the family of Kelly E. Carter. From their first meeting at an airport on Nov. 18, 2001 until her sudden death on Sept. 21, 2014, Lucy led an enviable life, petsetting to the hottest destinations around the world and hobnobbing with celebrities and other boldface names. No wonder Roger Friedman once called her “the luckiest dog in Hollywood” in his column.

Latest from Lucy’s Blog

SuperZoo, the annual pet trade show, got just a little better for precious me this year. Why, you ask? Well, my mommy finally snagged me that stroller I’ve been deserving for so long. All it took was her asking a nice lady at Pet Gear if she could borrow a stroller for a few days and voila! […]

The ultimutt dog travel guide book

The Dog Lovers Guide to Travel
features 75 great places in the U.S and Canada to vacation with a dog. Written by TheJetSetPets.com Founder Kelly E. Carter, a New York Times bestselling author and pet travel expert for AOL’s PawNation and Elite Traveler. Order for yourself and friends.